Dr Hazel J. Wilkins BSc (Hons), DPhil, Pg Cert Ed, CChem, MRSC, FHEA
email: hazel.wilkins@mac.com / hwil@learning.icrgu.navitas.com
Hazel Wilkins has taught science/chemistry for over 40years. Initially after
receiving her D.Phil she went into middle and secondary school teaching before
moving onto higher education. She has therefore taught all ages: from 7-70! On
moving to Aberdeenshire she took a post at Robert Gordon’s Institute of
Technology, Aberdeen, which took university status in 1992. There she was a
lecturer in chemistry and latterly also forensic science. She retired in 2011. Whilst
her research area was in synthetic organic chemistry in the field of steroids, her
focus became that of learning and teaching given the wide age and background of
students she has taught. In the later years at RGU she devised and successfully ran
an eLearning course – a Diploma in Applied Chemistry - giving her an interest in
independent learners and considerable experience in writing and delivering
material on a VLE. After one year of retirement she returned to teach part-time at
the International College at RGU run by Navitas teaching chemistry to International
students seeking entry into the MPharm course and Life sciences courses. Here
there are new challenges of teaching in a multicultural environment. She has been
involved with ECTN and EC2E2N for a number of years. In particular the working
groups on “Innovative Approaches to University Chemistry Education” and
“Developing Independent Learners”. She has presented work at a variety of
international conferences and also acted as a reviewer and an external examiner.
She is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a fellow of the Higher
Education Academy.
Academic and Professional Qualifications
2002
ILTM/FHEA (Member of the Institute for Teaching and Learning
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
1997MRSC. CChem
1974
DPhil titled “Some Aromatisation Reactions of Steroids”, University of
Sussex
1972
Postgraduate Certificate of Education (Chemistry), University of
Sussex
1970
BSc (Hons), 2.1 Chemistry, University of Sussex
1967
9 O levels, 3 A levels, 1 S level, Wycombe High School
Employment Experience
2012 –
Sessional Lecturer at International College at RGU
2012
Associate of HEA (STEM conference 2012)
2011-2012 Retired from RGU
1998-2011 Lecturer, School of Pharmacy & Life Sciences (Formerly Applied
Sciences/ Life Sciences) Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
1987-1998 Contract Lecturer, School of Applied Sciences, at above.
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Previous Employment Experience
1974-1975
Part-time Teacher, Forest Girls School, Horsham
1975-1976
Science Teacher, Southgate Middle School, Crawley.
1976-1977
Science Teacher, Bishop Barrington School, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham.
1977-1980
Family Career Break
1980-1984
Part-time Lecturer in Science, Bishop Auckland Technical College, Co
Durham.
1985-1988
Grampian Regional Supply Teacher, Chemistry.
Teaching Interests:
General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Forensic Science
Teaching Expertise:
Incomplete handouts, Open-ended Experiments, Group
Laboratory Classes, Projects, Blended Learning, Elearning, On-line Pre-lecture and Post-lecture
Resources, Tests.
Professional Activities
1986-87
Scottish Examination Board CSYS Project Assessor, Chemistry.
1982-86
Examiner A-level General Studies, Oxford Delagacy of Examinations.
1980-86
Examiner O-level Chemistry, Oxford Delagacy of Examinations.
1997-2009 Member/treasurer/chairman of the Scottish Region Education
Division Committee of the Royal Society of Chemistry
1997-2009 Member /chairman of the Royal Society of Chemistry local area
committee
2000-2003 Member of the Education Division Council of the Royal Society of
Chemistry
2000-2003 Member of SQA Chemistry Assessor Panel
2000-2006 Member of the Committee for Schools and Colleges of the Royal
Society of Chemistry
2003-2007 External Examiner for University of Ulster
2004-2010 Member of various working groups in Teaching and Learning in the
European Chemistry Thematic Network (ECTN) and European
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Education Network
(EC2E2N).
Publications
1. HANSON, J.R., and SHAPTER, H. J., 1972. The Aromatization of some 2α,3α-Epoxy5α-hydroxy-steroids. J.C.S. Perkin I 1445
2. HANSON, J.R., and WILKINS, H. J., 1974. Some alternative pathways leading to the
Aromatization of Ring A of Steroids. J.C.S. Perkin I 1388
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3. HUNTER, C., WARDELL, S. and WILKINS, H., * 2000. Introducing first-year students
to some skills of investigatory laboratory work, U Chem Ed, 4(i), pp. 12-15
4. HUNTER, C., MCCOSH, R. and WILKINS, H., * 2003. Integrating learning and
assessment in laboratory work. Chemistry Education: Research and Practice: Special
Section. 4(1): pp. 76-75
Conference proceedings
1. HUNTER, C., WARDELL, S. and WILKINS, H.,* 1999. Developing undergraduates’
laboratory skills in chemistry. Proceedings Variety in Chemistry Teaching, Heriot
Watt University, Edinburgh pp. 25-26
2. HUNTER, C., MCCOSH, R. and WILKINS, H.,* 2000 An Integrated Approach to
Learning and Assessment in Laboratory Work. Proceedings Variety in Chemistry
Teaching, University of Lancaster, pp. 49.
3. HUNTER, C., WARDELL, S. and WILKINS, H.,* 2000. Introducing first-year students
to some skills of investigatory laboratory work, Proceedings Variety in Chemistry
Teaching, University of Lancaster, pp. 33
4. HUNTER, C., WARDELL, S. and WILKINS, H.,* 2001. Introducing investigatory
laboratory work to first-year students. Proceedings 6th ECRICE and 2nd ECCE,
University of Aveiro S20
5. HUNTER, C., WARDELL, S. and WILKINS, H.,* 2001, Integrating Learning and
Assessment in Laboratory Work. Proceedings 6th ECRICE and 2nd ECCE, University of
Aveiro S21
6. WILKINS, H., 2001, The Platinum CREST Award – an external mentoring scheme for
projects. Proceedings Variety in Chemistry Teaching, University of Lancaster, pp. 3334
7. WILKINS, H., 2002. Transferable Skills: Are we really developing them?. Variety in
Chemistry Education, University of Keele, pp. 37-38
8. BYERS, B., REID, N., and WILKINS, H., 2003. The Midwich Cuckoos Revisited:
Promoting Learning Through group Work. Proceedings Variety in Chemistry
Education with Irish Variety in Chemistry Teaching, Dublin City University, Ireland,
pp. 24
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